1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera having an improved exposure control apparatus utilizing a setting member to select a long or a short exposure time setting position of a shutter mechanism, and, more particularly, to such an apparatus where the long exposure time setting is automatically changed to the short exposure time setting after an exposure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to automatically move an objective lens of a camera from a manually set position to a normal or snapshot setting following an exposure. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,082 to Schrumpf, an objective lens is placed in a setting ring coupled with a range setting device. The ring is provided with detent grooves along its periphery corresponding to various range settings. A stop lever cooperates with the detents to hold the lens in a manually set position against the bias of a spring tensioned by rotation of the setting ring. The stop lever is displaced from engagement with the detents after an exposure by a film feed device or a shutter release device thereby allowing the lens to return to the snapshot setting.
It is also known to provide an exposure control apparatus with a switching device to allow an operator to select a normal exposure time setting or a second time setting of a longer duration. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,923 issued to Kitai. A problem is sometimes encountered with these devices when one has taken one or several long exposure shots and then forgets to return the switching device to the normal exposure setting since any photographs which are then taken under normal exposure conditions will probably be overexposed. One attempt to eliminate this problem is disclosed in German patent DT-GBM 1,606,888. When a long time exposure is set, the automatic cocking shutter of the camera is held open by the introduction of a setting lever into the run down path of a shutter blade. When the shutter blade pivots back on termination of the time release action, the setting lever is struck by an abutment edge of the shutter blade and springs into the normal exposure setting. A disadvantage with this device is that the shutter blade is subjected to quite considerable stress and must be designed accordingly. Another disadvantage is that the mechanism cannot be used with more complicated shutters such as diaphragm shutters and focal plane shutters.